INDIANAPOLIS –Green Bay junior Michael Tenzer (Neuried, Germany) is the Horizon League men’s tennis Player of the Week, while Youngstown State senior Margarita Sadovnikova (Ufa, Russia) is the Horizon League women’s tennis Player of the Week for the week of April 14-20. This is the second League honor for each student-athlete this spring.
The Green Bay men’s tennis team completed Horizon League play with an undefeated 6-0 conference record. The Phoenix won two dual matches against Detroit and Wright State to clinch their second-straight Horizon League regular-season title and are the No. 1 seed going into the Championships. Green Bay won each of its matches 5-2 and is going into post-season play with a 16-7 overall record.
Tenzer led Green Bay at the No. 1 singles position, defeating Detroit’s Bobby Cawood in straight-sets 6-2, 7-5. In No. 1 doubles action with teammate Howard Scott, the pair beat Rafael Orantes and Chance Conley 8-5. The following day, Tenzer faced Wright State’s Dan Gilbert to pick up another straight-set victory 6-2, 7-5. Teaming up with Scott, the duo was victorious against Hayden Joblin and Ricardo Pineda 8-6. Tenzer held a perfect 6-0 No. 1 singles record in the Horizon League this spring.
The Youngstown State women clinched the No. 3 seed for the Horizon League Championships after defeating Valparaiso and UIC over the weekend. The Penguins swept the Crusaders 7-0 and collected their first win in school history over UIC 6-1. The women enter the Championship with an 11-11 overall and 6-2 conference record after finishing runner-up a season ago.
Sadovnikova went undefeated over the weekend in singles and doubles play against Valparaiso and UIC. Taking on the Crusader’s Katelyn Hamel at No. 1 singles, the senior won in straight-sets 6-3, 6-1. On Saturday versus UIC, Sadovnikova won again in straight-sets over the Flames’ Kathryn Sharples 6-3, 6-2. At No. 3 doubles with teammate Carolyn Jesko, the team won 8-4 against Natalia Kuvakina and Keti Mebuke. Overall in League play this spring, Sadovnikova posted a 7-1 record at No. 1 singles.
The Green Bay men’s team has a bye in the first round of the Horizon League Championship and will compete against the winner of No. 4 seed Valparaiso versus No. 5 seed UIC on Saturday, April 26 at 3:00 p.m. ET. The Youngstown State women begin Championship action in the first round on Friday, April 25 against No. 6 seed Wright State at 11:00 a.m. ET. The Championships will be held at the University of Michigan Varsity Tennis Center and will be streamed on the Horizon League Network.
Top Men’s Tennis Players of the Week:
Dave Bacalla, Valparaiso (Fr.)—Went 2-0 at No. 2 singles and 1-0 at No. 1 singles against Chicago State, Youngstown State and Cleveland State. Also went 2-1 at No. 1 doubles with teammate Danny Oakes.
Manuel Bellutti, Cleveland State (Jr.)—Went 2-0 at No. 5 singles and 2-0 at No. 3 doubles while finishing the season with a perfect 6-0 conference singles record. He has now won eight-straight singles matches and 14 of his last 15.
Jay Joshi, Detroit (Jr.)—Went 3-0 collecting two wins at No. 4 singles and one win at No. 2 doubles. The junior’s win against Green Bay was his first Horizon League victory this season.
Dawoud Kabli, Youngstown State (Jr.)—Only Penguin to record a win in both singles and doubles. After opening the first set, rallied to win the next two against UIC at No. 3 singles.
Top Women’s Tennis Players of the Week:
Mathilde Orange, Cleveland State (So.)—Went 2-0 at No. 4 singles and 1-0 at No. 2 doubles against UIC and Valparaiso. Posted the clinching point in Cleveland State’s first-ever win against UIC while helping the Vikings earn the Horizon League Championship No. 1 seed and regular-season co-championship.
Irina Slizovskaya, Detroit (So.)—Posted a 2-0 record for Detroit in the regular-season finale against Oakland. She won at No. 2 singles and No. 2 doubles with teammate Julia Fernandes to post a 6-1 conference doubles record.
Diana Tokar, Milwaukee (Fr.)—Helped Milwaukee win a share of its first conference title in program history with a 6-4, 6-3 win in singles play, leading to a 7-0 team win over Wright State. Also won her doubles set 8-4.
Men’s Tennis Player of the Week:
Jan. 20: Silviu Mistreanu, Youngstown State
Jan. 27: Jorg van der Vloet, Cleveland State
Feb. 3: Ali Shabib, Cleveland State
Feb. 10: Leopold Gomez Islinger, Green Bay
Feb. 17: Jeffrey Schorsch, Valparaiso
Feb. 24: Matt Kuelker, Cleveland State
March 3: Jeffrey Schorsch, Valparaiso
March 10: Dave Bacalla, Valparaiso
March 17: Matt Kuelker, Cleveland State
March 24: Rodrigo Campos, Youngstown State
March 31: Michael Tenzer, Green Bay
April 7: Charlie Emhardt, Valparaiso
April 14: Michael Tenzer, Green Bay
Women’s Tennis Player of the Week:
Jan. 13: Lauren Smith, Wright State
Jan. 20: Nino Sujashvili, Detroit
Jan. 27: Jana Knoppe, UIC
Feb. 3: Margarita Sadovnikova, Youngstown State
Feb. 10: Annina Brendel, Youngstown State
Feb. 17: Dominika Lackova, Youngstown State
Feb. 24: Alex Bush, Cleveland State
March 3: Diana Tokar, Milwaukee
March 10: Karine Celis, Oakland
March 17: Christina Colarossi, Milwaukee
March 24: Kathryn Sharples, UIC
March 31: Kristin Kurer, Milwaukee
April 7: Lauren Golick, Cleveland State
April 14: Margarita Sadovnikova, Youngstown State
